Top 10 Reasons for Sellers to Hire a Real-Estate Agent

Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Real-Estate Agent

1. Education & Experience - You don't need to know everything about buying and selling real estate if you hire a real estate professional who does. Henry Ford once said that when you hire people who are smarter than you are, it proves you are smarter then they are.

2. Agents are Buffers - Agents take the spam out of your property showings and visits. If you're a buyer of new hoes, your agent will whip out his/her sword and keep the builder's agents at bay, preventing them from biting or nipping at your heels.

3. Neighborhood Knowledge - Agents either possess intimate knowledge or they know where to find the industry buzz about your neighborhood.

4. Price Guidance - Contrary to what some people believe, agents do not select prices for sellers or buyers. For example, you may know that a home down the street was on the market for $350,000, but an agent will know it had upgrades and sold at $285,000 after 65 days on the market and after twice falling out of escrow.

6. Professional Networking - Real estate agents network with other professionals, many of whom provide services that you will need to buy or sell.

7. Negotiation Skills & Confidentiality - Top producing agents negotiate well because, unlike most buyers and sellers, they can remove themselves from the emotional aspects of the transaction, and because they are skilled. It's part of their job description.

8. Handling Volumes of Paperwork - One-page deposit receipts were prevalent in the early 1970s. Today's purchase agreements run 10 pages or more.

9. Answer Questions After Closing - Many questions can pop up that were overlooked in the excitement of closing. Good agents stand by ready to assist.

10. Develop Relationships for Future Business - the basis for an agent's success and continued career in real estate is referrals.